Achieving Personal Fulfillment Ezine (sm)

"Positive Psychology to the Rescue" (sm)
December 2007

Published by Maurine D. Patten, Ed.D., CMC
Founder & CEO, Patten Coaching & Consulting
www.pattencoaching.com

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In This Issue:

1. Preview

2. Do You Want to End a Tough Year with Gratitude?

3. Getting into Action

4. Looking Ahead

1. Preview

Achieving Personal Fulfillment Ezine explores how to progress rapidly from dreams to action.  It is a free monthly email newsletter written by Maurine D. Patten, life/business coach and clinical psychologist.

Using Positive Psychology, topics are presented from the perspective of Maurine Patten and are provided to help you get the results you want.  It will help you manage change, improve your Emotional Intelligence, and make better decisions with less effort.

Much is being said at this time of year about being grateful.  This issue focuses on new research which points to gratitude as a key to your health and happiness. 

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2. Do You Want to End a Tough Year with Gratitude?

As the end of this year approaches, you may find yourself beginning to look forward to the upcoming New Year and all that it can offer you:

  • A fresh start.
  • New opportunities/challenges
  • A long-awaited significant event
However, before you say good bye to this year, be sure to list the things you were grateful for, especially if it has been a difficult year.

You may wonder why it is important to do this.  Author, Melodie Beattie says, "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity, problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events."

Robert Emmons describes gratitude as a key concept for social interactions in his book, Thanks!  How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, (2007).  Contemporary American society pays little attention to gratitude and its benefits.  In many other cultures, gratitude forms the foundation of social life.

We are out of practice.  According to Emmons, more men than women resist experiencing and expressing gratitude because it may feel like dependency or indebtedness.  We like to think we create our own lives and often take things for granted.  We like to think we are responsible for any good that has come our way; we believe we earned or deserved it.

While this is partly right, a grateful person sees a bigger picture.  Goodness often happens independently of our actions. 

We know that gratitude:

  • Implies humility.
  • Contributes to health and happiness.
  • Strengthens social ties.
  • Decreases depression and anxiety symptoms.
  • Increases resililence.
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3. Getting into Action

This past year has been an especially difficult one for me.  Three significant people in my life have had (and two still do) critical health problems.  Thankfully, gratitude is one of my top five strengths.  It has helped and continues to help me be resilient during the most difficult times.

Any of the following suggestions will help you begin to incorporate gratitude in your daily life:

  1. At bedtime, write or think of three things you were grateful for, went well, or were a blessing that day and why (because).  It is important to add "why".  Choose one of these to savor as you fall asleep.
  2. Visualize a time in your life when you were at peace or felt happy.  Step into that memory and feel the feelings you felt then.  Savor that special time.  Notice what you are grateful or thankful for. 
  3. Write a list of your blessings.  Add to it over time. 
  4. Write a thank you (gratitude) letter to someone describing what you appreciate about that person.  You may or may not choose to send or read the letter to the person.
  5. Write a list of things in your life that you take for granted.  How is it like or different from you blessings list?

Numbers one and two above are my favorites.

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4. Looking Ahead

We are never too young or too old to be grateful.  The act of practicing gratitude helps you tune into what is good.  According to Melodie Beattie, gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.  I find it to be life changing.

Coaching increases your self-awareness, confidence, and motivation.  It holds you accountable as you practice your new behaviors and become the best that you can be. 

Let me know how I can help you live a grateful life.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Maurine Patten
mdpcoach@pattencoaching.com

[Article Here]


Maurine Patten
mdpcoach@pattencoaching.com

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Contact Information

Patten Coaching & Consulting

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With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue to fit your space requirements. Republication also is encouraged under other circumstances. However, the advance permission of Patten Coaching and Consulting must be obtained in the event that changes in the text are desired.

Mission

Achieving Personal Fulfillment Ezine is dedicated to inspiring and expanding your perspective in order for you to move forward in your personal and professional life.

Achieving Personal Fulfillment Ezine is a publication of Patten Coaching & Consulting; CEO, Maurine D. Patten, Ed.D., CMC mdpcoach@pattencoaching.com

We would like Achieving Personal Fulfillment Ezine to be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments, topics you would like addressed, or can suggest additional resources to benefit us all, please email us at any time. Send your e-mail to ezinefeedback@pattencoaching.com.

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Archives

You can read previous issues of Achieving Personal Fulfillment Ezine in our archives on our archives page.

About Maurine D. Patten, Ed.D., CMC

Maurine Patten is a clinical psychologist and certified life/business coach.  Her professional career includes: independent business owner (26 years), Assistant Professor at Chicago State University, and consultant for education and business. She is a graduate of the MentorCoach program and a member of the International Coach Federation. She is experienced in training and management development for large national and international firms. She has a strong background in working with individuals and couples on clarifying and achieving goals.

Dr. Patten has training in coaching, Emotional Intelligence, retirement assessment and planning, cognitive therapy and health psychology. She has published articles, made presentations, and conducted workshops about:
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Creating a Fulfilling Retirement
  • Anxiety and Achievement
  • Stress Management
  • Setting and Achieving Goals
  • Self-Esteem
  • Communication Skills
  • Marital/relationship Enrichment
  • Wellness Issues
  • The Psychology of Happiness
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